Infection Control in Healthcare Settings

The assignment focuses on infection prevention and control within health and social care environments. It examines relevant legislation such as the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. Furthermore, it delves into organizational procedures, risk assessments, and the specific roles and responsibilities of healthcare personnel in preventing and controlling infections.

Running head: INFECTION CONTROL 1
Infection Control
Name
Institution

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Infection Control
P1Explain how infections are caused by different Pathogens
There are diverse types of pathogens that cause infections. These are viruses, protozoans,
bacteria, worms, and fungi. Pathogens have different routes of infections. First and for most,
infections can be passed via direct inoculation. For instance, the intravenous drug users that share
needles can pass HIV infections because of direct blood inoculation from those who are infected.
However, infections can be caused due to inhalation of microorganisms or even spores that are
suspended in dust particles or in the air on water droplets (Smith et al., 2014). For instance,
streptococcal infections are caused due to inhalation of bacterial spores into the respiratory tract.
Flu also is caused by inhalation of droplets sneezed out by an infected person. Furthermore,
pathogens can cause infection when food or water is contaminated.
When pathogens such as a virus, bacteria, worms and viruses get into food and when this
food is not well prepared, they are ingested into our system and they cause infections, for instance,
cholera, typhoid and hepatitis infections are caused due to food and water contamination. Some
parasites also cause infection in our bodies. They can spread via different ways (Smith et al.,
2014). For instance, mosquito spreads malaria, giardia is caused via drinking contaminated water,
and scabies is contracted via direct contact while threadworms and tapeworms cause infections
when ingested with food.
P2 explain how pathogenic micro-organisms grow and spread.
Pathogens have diverse modes of growing and spreading after infection into our bodies.
Viruses cannot eat food or even grow on their own, however, they can multiply themselves when

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they infect the living cell. When they attract the cells and colonize, they multiply and kill the cell
thus making way to the next cells. The same process will continue when they enter nearby cells.
Pathogenic bacteria grow via a geometric progression. The nucleus undergoes duplication
before cell division. The cells grow about twice its size and the nuclear then divides and the two
daughter cells get an identical set of chromosomes. The cells then separate and arraigned in
different morphology, either singly, chains, clumps or pairs (Smith et al., 2014). These cells can
then spread via water, air or direct inoculation. Fungal infections can be divided into
environmentally or endogenous. Environmentally infections such as Aspergillus grow as a
saprophyte in environmental niches like soil, compost and people get infected via spores’
inhalations. However, endogenous infections such as Candida albicans form members of the
human micro-biota and when conditions are favourable for them in the human body; they grow
and spread to the cell and tissues. On the other hand, parasites undergo several differentiation
stages within their hosts. However, they need intermediate hosts for them to mature and to
facilitate their spreading to the final host
P3Demonstrate standard precaution that would be used to prevent the spread of infection
in health or social setting
There are different precautions that can be taken to prevent infections in social setting or
health. One of them is the hand hygiene. It most effective method to prevent infections. One
should wash hands with warm water and soap before eating any kind of food. Also, it is important
to wash vegetables and fruits before eating. This will wash away microorganisms that might be at
surfaces of such food. However, the utilization of protective equipment ought to be guided by
hazard assessment and the extent of contact that is foreseen by fluids, blood, secretions, mucus,

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and excretions. For instance, gloves should be worn when touching body fluids, blood and even
pathogens (Powell et al., 2014). It is also advisable to change gloves between procedures within
the same patients after coming contact with materials that are infectious. Another point is that
when coughing, it is very important to cover mouth and nose in order to prevent the spread of
infections. Used scalpels and needles also should be properly disposed of. Sticks, broken glasses,
and other injuries items are hazards which should be avoided in any health setting.
M1 Explain how to manage an outbreak of infection in a health or social care setting
One of the methods of managing an outbreak of an infection in health is hand washing. The
hand should immediately washed before any event of direct patient care or contact or after any
activity of contact that could result in contamination of hand. Children who are not sick should not
enter wards containing sick people. Due to the fact that children are more susceptible to diseases,
they should be kept away. The hospital setting should get ventilated to avoid the spread of airborne
infections. Also, patients with TB should be isolated from the rest of the patients in order to
prevent further infection of diseases. People should avoid depositing faecal matter near water
bodies during infections such as cholera (Powell et al., 2014). Also, people living nearby should be
encouraged to boiled water before using them to avoid any risk of infection. In schools and homes
where there are spread of contagious diseases such as chicken pox, patients should be isolated to
avoid contact with the rest of the people. However, for health setting, correct equipment should be
used for the correct purpose in order to avoid contamination.
D1 Assess how the suggested measures to manage an
outbreak of infection meet legal requirements and
guidelines for the prevention and control of infection in a
health or social care setting

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The food safety acts points out that people working with food should be trained on the
importance of hand washing. For instance, hands should be washed after working with meat
because some bacteria might be presence in it. The idea was stated in the department of health
2012. However, washing hand is a measure that is important in controlling most infections just the
way it is needed in the regulations and legislations linked to infection control (Powell et al., 2014).
WHO improves the standards of hands cleaning and ensure that increased risks of infections in
social care and health facilities is minimized. Environmental waste management is one of the
measure employed to control infectious outbreaks. Health care setting and social setting can form
conducive places for the growth and transmission of microbes
P4Identify Key Aspects of legislation and guidelines relevant to the prevention and
control of infection in a health or social care setting
The public health act of 1984 was legislated to one of the infection control measures to
report infectious diseases. It ensures that information is passed to the relevant health protection
organisation so that they can immediately begin investigations. Another legislation is the work and
safety act of 1974, which concentrated on the way people, could reduce the risks of harm and states
that any professional should carry out assessments of areas and come up with health and safety
policies. The act was crucial in the healthcare due to the fact that it reduces the risk of professionals
to identify all the risks and comes up with risk assessments (Powell et al., 2014). It encourages
management of institutions to look out for main ways which people could be affected. The
healthcare protection agency of 2008 was legislated to protect individuals from spread and

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infection of diseases. However, it aims to monitor ailments whenever they occur. Another
legislation was the hazardous waste regulations that aimed at the proper disposal of waste to reduce
the spread and infections of diseases.
M2 explain the role of organizational procedures in prevention and control of infection in
health or social care setting
There exist procedures and regulations at any organization that aims at preventing and
controlling the spread of diseases. Institutions should ensure that each and every one should get
regular information and participate at training aim at educating them to understand about infection
and prevention and control of infections (Powell et al., 2014). The departments of public health
should take care of clean water, proper sewerage systems, and safe disposal of waste, clean air, and
prevention of any kind of pollution. In addition, the environmental health is deemed to ensure that
the outlets of food meet the food and safety standards. They also ensure that they are inspected
regularly.
P5 Describe the roles and responsibilities of personnel in relation to infection prevention and
control in a health or social care setting
It is the duty of any worker to take the safety measures to control and prevent the infection
in the workplace. They should work safely to protect themselves, visitors, staff, and other people
form any kind of infection (Powell et al., 2014). However, these workers should be aware of

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regulations such as health and safety at work act and control of substances hazardous to health.
Employees also should ensure that they participate in any workshop offered in their respective
institutions concerning prevention and control of infections. They should also be for front in
reporting any form of abuse and bad practices.
M3 review a risk assessment in relation to infection prevention and control
Undertaken at health and social care work placement
Through risk management, one is able to uncover elements that can cause infection and
things that facilitate to its factors. By finding infection factors via risk assessment, one will be in
position to prevent any emergence of infections
D2 assess how risk assessment can contribute to reducing rates of infection in health or
social care setting
Risk assessments are developed to assist the staff or students who enter the institution. It
aims to protect any person who works in that particular firm by informing them on the possible
risks to them and the ways that can be managed. It assists people from getting accidents at place
of work like falling or even tripping

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Reference
Powell, T., Wigglesworth, N., Drey, N., & Gould, D. (2014). Developing a model to assess
optimum infection control workforce in acute care settings. American journal of infection
control, 42(11), 1142-1145.
Smith, K. F., Goldberg, M., Rosenthal, S., Carlson, L., Chen, J., Chen, C., & Ramachandran, S.
(2014). Global rise in human infectious disease outbreaks. Journal of the Royal Society
Interface, 11(101), 20140950.